1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to soluble copper alkoxide compositions useful, for example, as a superconducting ceramic precursor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent advances in superconductor metal oxide technology have identified the composition YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.30 y, where y can range from 6.4 to 7.1, as a potential superconductor of high interest. It would be of interest to be able to provide a soluble copper alkoxide reagent which could function as a precursor for such a composition, if it were to be made by chemical means (e.g., using sol-gel technology) from such an alkoxide.
G. M. Whitesides et al., in J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 96:9 (May 1, 1974), pp. 2829-2835 mentions the synthesis of certain copper (I) alkoxides. It indicates that, with the exception of copper (I) methoxide, the copper (I) alkoxides were soluble in ether at 0.degree. C. and that most were also soluble in hydrocarbon solvents, although copper (I) cyclohexoxide and cyclopentoxide provided notable exceptions. Whitesides et al. cited earlier work by G. Costa et al. appearing in J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 1965, Vol. 27, pp. 281-285 relating to the insolubility of copper (I) methoxide. T. Tsuda et al., in J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 94:2, January 26, 1972, pp. 658-659 identify cuprous tert-butoxide as being soluble in organic solvents and being a new and useful metalation reagent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,002 mentions certain alcohol soluble metal alkoxides, including those of copper, which are formed by a double decomposition reaction using sodium methoxide and a metal salt. This reaction produces the corresponding sodium salt as a by-product. The alcohols which can be used to form the sodium alkoxide starting reagent include alkoxy alkanols (see Col. 6, lines 10-22).